All Reasons to Buy Miso and Use It in Cooking

Miso is a wonderfully salty paste made from fermented soybeans that has a ton of zesty umami flavor in a teaspoon. It is most commonly used in miso soup, but this unusual condiment can be used in a variety of delicious dishes, from chips and sandwich spreads to caramel and cake icing.

Miso is fermented by koji, a fluffy white fungus that is used to make soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sake. (If you want to know more about this indispensable fungus, Cook’s Science has a great description of this stuff. ) There are three main types of miso – red, white, and yellow – and each has its own unique flavor. profile. (There are, of course, many other types, but you are more likely to come across them.)

• Red Miso: The red miso is rich, with a deep umami flavor, and is best used in meat dishes, glazes or sauces for hearty vegetables.
• White Miso: White miso (also known as Shiro Miso) has a special sweetness and is best suited for dressing salads and light vegetable dishes. This soft and sweet pasta is also great for adding depth and saltiness to desserts.
• Yellow Miso: This is a ” midway ” miso that tastes somewhere between white and red. It is good in soups and sauces, and can also be added to a sauce or mayonnaise-based dressing without overpowering other ingredients in the dish.

Of course, each color can vary depending on the time of fermentation (darker = more fermented), the strain of koji that was used, and how much salt it was fermented. But enough about what it is, let’s talk about what to do with it.

This is a superstar

Obviously, we cannot talk about miso without talking about soup. The classic miso soup is one of the nicest things to eat on a cold evening and is quite easy to make. The video above will walk you through the process of steaming things, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that the soup should not be boiled once miso is added, as this can damage these beneficial living enzymes and muffle the flavor.

In terms of ratios, you’ll need 1 tablespoon miso for every cup of dashi (an aroma bomb made from dried seaweed and mackerel broth. You can make your own, but there are some pretty decent instant options on Amazon ). Simply heat the broth and add the miso, making a gruel with a little broth before pouring it into the pot to prevent lumps from forming. (If for some reason you don’t want to cook the gruel, you can also push the miso through a sieve straight into the pot.)

From there, you can add whatever goodies you want. Shitake mushrooms, tofu, and chives are classic options, but miso soup is a great flavor base that goes well with variations. Some ideas:

• Add yesterday’s stir-fried vegetables for a more filling meal.
• Crack an egg in there for more protein and richness (and help with a hangover ).
• Add a handful of broccoli or carrots for a crispy crust.
• Improve cheap ramen a bit by using miso soup instead of the sodium-packed bag (just make sure you save the bag for this delicious sauce ).
• Prepare broth from Multivarki, using miso soup instead of normal chicken broth.

Traditional miso soup is delicious, but dashi is optional. Miso can whip up any old broth , making store-bought broths and soups more flavorful. It’s also a great dairy-free replacement for Parmesan cheese, which means you can enjoy delicious risotto even if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant .

Dip it good

Sipping soup is fun, but I find the food to be dipped is the most enjoyable. Miso adds to the fun in just about any sauce or pasta by adding a salty and tasty addition to whatever you stir. Here are just a few miso excerpts that can enhance the funk:

• Add it to any hummus, homemade or not, for flavor and depth.
• Make a hearty meat sauce with miso, pork, and walnuts . (I would use red miso here.)
• Toss it with sour cream or labne for a slightly different sauce for the chips.
• Make a dressing with miso, ginger, and sesame oil – like this one from the New York Times – and add it to salads, fried vegetables, and rice bowls.
• Add it to your ranch store gas station for an unforgettable experience.
• Combine white miso with yogurt and honey for a sweet dish that’s perfect for a vegetable tray.
• Mix it with mayonnaise and pour it over each sandwich.
• Add some vegetables to your face with this eggplant miso sauce .

Due to its lumpiness, you may have to break your food processor or blender to distribute miso evenly throughout the miso delivery system, but the little extra effort is worth it.

Soak and roast

Miso’s super pungent flavor makes it an ideal candidate for flavoring a variety of meats, and you should definitely use it for pickling, stewing, sauce, and steeping. A few salty ideas to get you started:

• Combine it with a little neutral oil and fish sauce for a truly delicious chicken wing .
• Defeat the Cheesecake Factory in their own game and cook up the miso glazed salmon .
• Make a really good (vegan) sauce with miso, nutritional yeast, and mushrooms. (Or just add a spoon to any gravy to take it to the next level.)
• Find the darkest red miso and use it to stew short ribs .
• Make any meatball better.
• Make a super simple 3 -way miso, sake and mirin marinade and use it for every animal protein you come across. (The lighter the protein, the lighter the miso. Use white miso for seafood, red miso for red meat, etc.)
• Combine miso with butter and rub fried chicken with it, stir in fried vegetables just removed from the oven, rub with potatoes, or simply spread on toast.

I think you’re starting to realize that miso is a savory superstar with a wide range of seemingly endless uses, but fermented bean paste has another trick, and it’s super sweet.

Sweeten the deal

Do you know how a little salt can enhance the flavor of desserts? Miso does the same, but adds a little sweet funk, giving a sophisticated touch to all the sweets. White miso works best for this, and here are a few of my favorite uses.

• Make David Lebowitz’s once-fried strawberry and miso ice cream , never eat regular strawberry ice cream again.
• Make a more complex salty caramel . Pour apple pie over them.
• Better yet, bake a couple of teaspoons directly into the pie (or do both).
• Use it to bake cookies too, because who doesn’t like salty sweet chocolate chip cookies ?
• One of my favorite holiday treats is light toffee haystacks . This year I will add some white miso to the mixture. Don’t tell my grandmother.
• Mix a couple of teaspoons with the butter icing to keep the cake from becoming boring. (I love this maple cream with miso oil .)

If none of this excites you about fermented soybeans, I’m not sure which one. I feel like there really is a miso supplement for every diet and taste, and it can add flavor, funky and happiness to your existence. (Unless you are allergic to soy like my sister Sydney. Sorry Sydney.)

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